Mission Statement
The Bay Conservation and Development Commission is dedicated to the protection and enhancement of San Francisco Bay and to the encouragement of the Bay's responsible use.
Major Roles and Responsibilities in Wetlands Management
The BCDC's primary roles in wetlands management in the Bay are planning the
protection, enhancement, and restoration of wetlands; protecting wetlands
(through the BCDC's regulatory authority); and balancing the protection of
wetlands against other often high priority objectives. All projects proposed
in tidal wetlands within the BCDC's jurisdiction require an approved BCDC
permit before proceeding. Under state and federal law the BCDC is required to
set conditions for these permits in order to minimize impacts on wetlands and
to offset those impacts that are unavoidable.
Over the years the BCDC has also been involved in a number of planning efforts
involving wetlands, including the Suisun Marsh Preservation Act and Protection
Plan, the Diked Historic Baylands Study, the Sea Level Rise study, an
evaluation of the BCDC mitigation practices, and an analysis of tideland
restoration projects in San Francisco Bay. Also, as the BCDC's experience with
marsh restoration has grown, it has collaborated with other organizations to
develop marsh restoration and monitoring plans and played a significant role in
coordinating the efforts of natural resource agencies. As the chair of the
Shell Oil Spill Litigation Settlement Trustee Committee, the BCDC has been
involved in a number of wetland acquisition and enhancement projects.
Legal Mandate
The BCDC is the federally-designated state coastal management
agency for San Francisco Bay and has jurisdiction in the greater San Francisco
Bay area to administer the State's McAteer-Petris Act, the San Francisco Bay
Plan, and the Suisun Marsh Preservation Act. In all decisions involving
wetlands, the BCDC and its staff evaluate projects in light of the
McAteer-Petris Act (the BCDC's primary law), the San Francisco Bay Plan, the
Suisun Marsh Preservation Act, the Suisun Marsh Protection Plan, the federal
Coastal Zone Management Act, and the California Environmental Quality Act.
For more information on the BCDC contact:
Jeffry Blanchfield, Chief Planner (415)352-3654, jeffb@bcdc.ca.gov
Will Travis, Executive Director, (415)352-3653, travis@bcdc.ca.gov
Steve McAdam, Chief of Permits and Enforcement (415)352-3614, stevem@bcdc.ca.gov
Bob Batha, Staff Biologist, (415)352-3612, bobb@bcdc.ca.gov
Mailing address:
50 California Street, Suite 2600
San Francisco, CA 94111
Webmaster: wetlands@resources.ca.gov
This file last modified on: Thursday, January 24, 2002.
Document URL: http://ceres.ca.gov/wetlands/agencies/dwr.html
Copyright © 1997 California Resources Agency. All rights reserved.